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Monday, March 28, 2011

Chicken Lo Mein

Trying to find Chinese food that doesn't contain soy protein is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, it may be there, somewhere, but good luck trying to find it. So, my friends, you've gotta make it yourself. And sometimes when you try to make it, you just end up replacing the soy sauce with salt, and you lose the depth of flavor that soy sauce provides. But have no fear! This recipe skips the soy sauce without losing the flavor!

I posted a recipe for Sweet-and-Sour Stir-Fried Chicken about three years ago, and it's excellent, and this recipe is fantastic, too. You can easily alter the recipe to fit your own needs. Use the vegetables you like. Use the meat you like (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp) or leave it out all together for a vegetarian dish. You can even skip the "lo mein" -- the noodles -- and serve the stir fry over rice. Make it your own!

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth, vinegar, honey, salt and ginger until smooth; set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 1 tablespoon oil for 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon; keep warm.

Stir-fry denser veggies, such as carrots, peppers, celery and onion in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add rest of veggies, such as mushrooms and cabbage, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add spinach; stir-fry 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender and spinach is wilted.

Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Drain linguine, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Add chicken and linguine to the pan; heat through. Drizzle with sesame oil, to taste. Thin out sauce with pasta cooking water, as needed.

Tip: Do not skip the sesame oil! It really adds that final depth of flavor that you need to replace the soy sauce.